Joined: Fri Jul 08, 2005 8:23 pmPosts: 2781Location: The call is coming from inside the house

I’m looking at getting into the world of Ham radio. There is a lot of information out there, but not much for the beginner. Any 101 websites or YouTube videos you can suggest? And what tips, recommendations or things you would do differently? And just general advice you can give? How about handheld vs. mounted in jeep?

Joined: Fri Jul 08, 2005 8:23 pmPosts: 2781Location: The call is coming from inside the house

thanks Ed. I took a practice test and missed passing by 3 questions. I was looking at a hand held, or an HT as I've learned. Really don't know if I can bite off 2 bills for this. The big test will be out on the trail with one.

thanks Ed. I took a practice test and missed passing by 3 questions. I was looking at a hand held, or an HT as I've learned. Really don't know if I can bite off 2 bills for this. The big test will be out on the trail with one.

I have had this robust HT for two-years; it works great and recommended by many amateurs:

Thanks for starting this topic Burch! I'm going to take the plunge as well and start studying. I'm going to go with a handheld so I can have it in any of the vehicles, including the scion, on or off road. I also like the portability so it can be used it to communicate outside of the vehicle as well. Used Wally's (IIRC) during a run and it worked great!

For about $30 more, you can get a mobile unit. This is what I have and it works great. It's only a 2 meter, but that's all we use on the trials anyway. I reached Wally one time on it using simplex about 60 miles away. http://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-011362

Joined: Fri Jul 08, 2005 8:23 pmPosts: 2781Location: The call is coming from inside the house

I'm still doing internet research. For everyone saying Ham people are friendly, I'm sure not getting that impression. They really want to hold their information close. Ask someone a question and you get a vague, beat around the bush answer. Kind of like asking someone about Amway. Or I get the, "you don't know that?" If I knew, I wouldn't be asking it... Then you get bombarded with all this technology stuff and you're left more confused. I think they do this on purpose because they really don't know the answer to my simple question. Little cliquish but it seams everything is that way. Do we come across that way on here when it comes to new jeep people? So I think I'm going to get a cheap $40 radio and dive right in.

I'm still doing internet research. For everyone saying Ham people are friendly, I'm sure not getting that impression. They really want to hold their information close. Ask someone a question and you get a vague, beat around the bush answer. Kind of like asking someone about Amway. Or I get the, "you don't know that?" If I knew, I wouldn't be asking it... Then you get bombarded with all this technology stuff and you're left more confused. I think they do this on purpose because they really don't know the answer to my simple question. Little cliquish but it seams everything is that way. Do we come across that way on here when it comes to new jeep people? So I think I'm going to get a cheap $40 radio and dive right in.

Some of the Ham forums are extremely bad. They like to sound smart, so that's why you get those kind of answers. You should stop into a Ham Radio Outlet sometime, those guys and gals are extremely knowledgeable (and friendly) and will answer your questions even if you don't buy anything. They get a kick out of helping new people into the hobby.

I think buying a cheap HT and diving right in is the best way. Then you can upgrade later since you'll have a better understanding of what you want/need.

Be careful, some of those "cheap" radios will not meet the expectations of long distance communications. Also, the quality of the equipment may upset you. I would spend the extra sixty bucks for the Wouxun radio.

We have access to a vendor that will deliver you a radio today for $100. He lives in Pinion Hills and his E-Mail address is 25@crestcom.org. The radio team I belong to called CREST Communications http://www.crestcom.org explicitly use Wouxun HT's for our events and operations.

Joined: Fri Jul 08, 2005 8:23 pmPosts: 2781Location: The call is coming from inside the house

Thanks Ray and Will. Honestly, right now, i'm not looking at talking long distance. I'm just trying to keep up with you guys on the trail. And i'm so turned off by all the formal code talk. I get enough of that crap at work every day. What I think I'm looking for, is more of an upgrade from the Family Talk Radios. So I can give john or carlos a radio when we are out in the desert or mountains, and just use simplex 99% of the time. And I can program it with you all when on the trail.

And then if I want to play in repeater land I can give that a try. There seams to be a few close by that I would have no problem hitting. So I'm looking cheap, disposable, Dual Band HT radios. If they last a year i'll be happy. If I drop one in the lake, oh well. Any suggestions?

My HT is the WOUXUN KG-UV2D VHF/UHF Dual Band. It works very well and is about $100. So not sure if that fits the cheap category. This is what Wally has also. I've dropped it a few times and it still works well, never had a problem with it.

Here is info on it, but it's out of stock. You should be able to find it elsewhere though (I believe Ham Radio Outlet has it). If you go that route, make sure you get the right one as there are several models with different bands.

You mentioned repeaters; I would go for both bands, since there are a bunch of repeaters in the Big Bear at both frequency ranges.

The bottom line is choose VHF if you plan to only use the radios outdoors and in an area that is relatively free of obstructions, such as buildings. If you plan on using the radio indoors, both indoors and out, or outdoors but around buildings, choose UHF. UHF is the better all around signal and is by far the most popular.

UHF signals don't travel quite as far outdoors as VHF signals, but they do a better job of penetrating wood, steel, and concrete, giving you better range and performance in urban environments and around buildings. VHF signals travel farther, absent obstructions, and tend to "hug" the earth better, providing better performance outdoors or in hilly terrain.